Mars
History Mars was the first attempt to create an environment suited to life outside of Earth or the New Moon. In 2479, The White Regime settled the barriers around Mars that would enable it to host life. However, the oxygen levels were reported lower than expected, and with a slight defect in the barriers came the release of toxins. The flora and fauna they had attempted to introduce withered and died, bar a few who mutated to survive. The planet reverted back to its former state almost entirely, boasting little life. With this failure under their belts, they were presented with an opportunity to rid themselves of any supporters of the dead Neo-Queen. Loyalists and freedom fighters alike were captured for years on end and shipped to the red planet by the bushel. Like the plants and animals before them, they either adapted, or withered away. Eventually, Mars became nothing more than a simple dumping ground for the millions of people who had rebelled. As The White Regime established other planets, it also began to produce monsters. In an effort to create something that would serve them mindlessly, acting and asking no questions, their genetic monstrosities occasionally failed. It was an expected thing, and Mars was a natural choice to rid themselves of the unruly beasts. The Martians were plucked off with time and care, and in turn became hunters who knew to kill or be killed. The Martian population has dwindled, and though the occasional rebel is still sent to be made an example of, nobody survives the planet who isn't born there, or only sent temporarily. Mercurians and Lunarians alike go on vast airships to harvest the children, and Venusians have started picking out the most attractive ones as sex slaves in later years. Jovians are occasionally stationed on the planet to serve in their military and test their mettle against people who no one cares about. The planet may lie directly beside the Earth and New Moon, but it is easily ignored. Its people have no voice, and it holds no status as a planet. Mars is a negligible part of the solar system. Interplanetary Relations Mars is, today, a generally feared rock beside the Earth. It is either forgotten or barely taught to children in schools across the solar system, and people tend not to mention it favourably, if at all. They have no alliances and no true enemies, though are known for being hated across the solar system as traitors and beasts. They are the only planet where the people are no longer considered (or treated) as human. Mercury and the New Moon have been known to pluck Martians quietly and use them for experiments, most of which kill them. In the past few years, Venusians have been known to visit Mars in an effort to capture attractive, exotic-looking individuals to train as sex slaves. Recently, the White Regime decided to afford Martians the chance at a better life. Less than two decades ago, they began "the Martian Rehabilitation Programme" in which Martian children found orphaned between the ages of three and eight were brought to Earth and placed with foster families. At the present time, there are slightly over eight-hundred Martians on Earth, the oldest being twenty-five years old. Abilities and Environment Mars is known for a wide range of terrain, from canyons to deserts that stretch on for miles, to the active volcanoes. The majority of Mars is cold thanks to their sixteen-hour long nights, leaving its people very little daylight to operate in. Their night vision is the same as any other race's, however they have better hearing and sense of smell to accommodate for the darker periods. The downside here is that louder noises, particularly close up, hurt as though they've been shot in the head. They appear to have excellent digestive systems as well, however, capable of (almost) safely digesting raw meat. Their teeth are known for being particularly sharp. It is rumoured that a small percentage of Martians hold some degree of psychic ability, but due to the way the planet is generally ignored, it's never been proven. The majority of Martians seem to fall within one of four areas, sticking to either the canyon, the mountains, caves, or the volcanic formations. It is safer to stay in an area one recognises when being hunted by monsters and men alike. Though the clans have been known to intermingle and change, with the volcanic ones looking like a fine mix between cave/mountain and canyon, it is unknown why they choose to live separately. Language The Martian language is incomplete at best. They have words for 'monster', 'rain', 'eat', 'food', and other basics. They do not carry words such as 'is', 'the', 'and', or anything inapplicable to their lives (such as 'viewscreen'). The language is monosyllabic and comprised of harder-sounding letters, with few that have any flow. Whilst most other languages might create a phrase along the lines of "I'm so glad to see that you're back; I've missed you terribly!", a Martian equivalent would translate to "content see again; hole through heart early, full here". Their vocabulary is limited, and as such, they oftentimes create odd, winding phrases that might mean something entirely different in another language. Though no one outside of the race knows the language entirely (partially due to the fact that trying to get a Martian to teach you anything is like begging to be snapped at), a few common words have been translated thanks to some careful observation. All Martian words are perfectly monosyllabic - all of them. Whilst they may run some words together, they seem to punctuate each word with a rather heavy emphasis on the space in between them. Most Martians opt to communicate via body language, finding it a far more universal means of communication than any spoken word could be. They bare their teeth as a sign of aggression, or occasionally when frightened into a flight or fight response. They use eye contact to determine dominance - breaking first in a staring contest is akin to submission. Their world involves little touching that isn't violent, and as such, they tend to gesticulate when conveying a message. Misinterpreting what another Martian is trying to say (usually from one of the other clans) is one of the primary causes for major fights. Men are known to pound on their chests with closed fists twice when winning a fight, or with an open palm before engaging in a hunt, once for every member of their hunting party. All Martians have developed the ability to growl, and the men can roar. Growling is generally viewed as something done in discontent, though recent studies of the growing Martian population on Earth has revealed that they may also do so when surprised, or offer a softer, similar noise when content. The roars seem to be brought about by victory or pride, though less is known about their function. Culture and Customs Mars has no celebratory periods, unlike every other planet in the solar system. The people find no joy in their lives, and have little sense of pride in themselves as a nation. It is rumoured that with the rains, the monsters hide, and the people hunt in large packs as opposed to on their own or in small hunting groups. Stranger rumours say that they perform tribal dances during the rains as a means of pleasing the skies. Martian culture would have it so that showing your teeth is construed as a form of aggression. Prolonged eye contact becomes a fight for dominance (similarly, breaking eye contact is like submission), and growling is a form of expressing displeasure, anger, surprise, or issuing a challenge. The men are known to slap their chests before a hunting trip, one slap per member of their hunting party, and any victor in a fight will pound on their chest after their opponent dies. Men will also roar in victory. On the whole, it is a loveless, lifeless, and fearful planet. Eat or be eaten, kill or be killed. Demographics At the time of this record, in the year 3571, month of March, there were approximately 322,000 Martians alive on their home planet. There were exactly 855 Martians sent to Earth (of which 803 were still alive). There were no other races there over the winter. The ratio of men to women was 41:59, and no member of the population exceeded the age of 28. Appearance and Genetics Martian men grow between an average of 5'4" and 5'6". There have been a few recorded cases where the males have reached a height of 5'7", though taller is unheard of. The women grow between 5'0" and 5'3". Though they do not seem to get any larger, shorter has happened. What muscle they have goes on lean, and does not build easily or at all. Thanks to the toxins (or perhaps the effects of eating raw monster meat, or some other planetary flaw), Martians have come to be renowned for their eyes. Though a good half of the population seems to produce grey or brown eyes, the other half seems to be born with black, shades of purple, or shades of red. They are common mutations, and in no way are considered rare amongst the Martians, nor the people who know anything about them. Due to lack of interest in Mars as a planet, it is unknown which of these mutated colours are dominant over other hues, or each other. The shape of their eyes seems to vary depending on their region, with the Martians who inhabit the canyons exhibiting far more narrow eyes than those elsewhere. The clans surrounding the volcanic grounds also appear to have slightly narrower eyes than those found in the caves and mountains. The people are always skinny thanks to years of malnourishment, and characterised by weak hearts. They die at the age of thirty or younger, and never live older. Their upper bodies tend to be regarded as weak and fragile, the bones easy to snap. In spite of this, most Martians have children as soon as they are physically able - an age that varies depending on the individual. Rape is extremely common, with the women oftentimes weighing so little themselves that they are unable to fight off the men. Both sexes look (and are) emaciated. Regardless of gender, they're rather pale, and do not tan well. The men grow little facial hair, with beards that never tend to reach past three inches in length, and body hair in general is thin or non-existent in places like the arms, legs, etc. The women and men alike all have dark brown to black hair. Though the majority of the people are forced to walk about in the nude, skilled hunters mark their triumph by wearing the pelts of whatever they have killed. Likewise, skilled thieves mark themselves by wearing the cast-offs of these individuals. After all, there is no shame in killing or stealing on Mars - only in survival. Category:Planets Category:Inner Planets